// Now pull content from the primary db
// Not specifying the resource should default to the last open db
mysql_query($query);
// ...
?>

Turns out this last query, since it cant find an active connection, will try to connect with mysql_connect() with no paramaters. But if instead you do it as mysql_query($query, $res1), or alternatively, run the mysql_connect for this host again then it works fine. Thus, it doesnt seem to be possible to have code with an overarching "global" db connection interspersed with temporary connections to another host/db....

At least with PHP5.3.2 and Windows connecting by tcp, you should always use this mysql_close() function to close and free up the tcp socket being used by PHP. Garbage collection after script execution does not close the tcp socket on its own. The socket would otherwise remain in 'wait' state for approximately 30 seconds, and any additional page loads/connection attempts would only add to the total number of open tcp connections. This wait time does not appear to be configurable via PHP settings.

Be careful when using multiple links to connect to same database (with same username). Unless you specify explicitly in mysql_connect() to create a new link, it will return an already open link. If that would be closed by mysql_close(), it will also (obviously) close the other connection, since the link is the same.Had lot of trouble figuring it out, since in <=4.3.6 there was a bug which didn't close the connection, but after the patch to >=4.3.7, all my application broke down because of a single script that did this.

As at 5.0.x and 4.3.x: This function should never be used with shared links; instead you should set your link variables to null.
(This explains red's and beer's () problems in previous comments)

Here is how shared links work:
- Each link is a resource. mysql_connect() by default looks for a resource with the same paramaters. If one exists, it will return the existing resource.
- Every assignment of that resource to a variable increases the resource's reference count.
- When the reference is decremented to zero, the underlying TCP/socket connection is closed.
- Every assignment of a variable away from that resource decrements the reference count. (This includes a function level variable going out of scope)
- mysql_close() also decrements the reference count.

Note the last two points: mysql_close() _and_ reassignment of a variable decrement the link's reference count.